Using Design Science Research to Orchestrate Developing the iCanViz Cancer Care Data Analytics Research Project

This paper aims to reflect on the extent to which the Design Science Research Method (DSRM) is aligned with orchestrating the development of cancer care data analytics research projects using a data strategy-enabled use-case-driven approach. A fit-for-purpose DSRM research framework has been designed to guide the research design and project-manage the iCanViz research project. The iCanViz project is an intelligent cancer data analytics visualizer aligned to multiple cancer sites, cancer incidences, risk correlations, survivals, and deaths in the Arab world within certain years of reported cancer incidences per cancer site. The DSRM approach has been deemed closely aligned with the iCanViz research project. This is primarily due to its ability to articulate and incorporate cancer care data strategy use-cases as agile software development increments within the iCanViz DSRM research framework. Also, the adaptation of the iCanViz DSRM research framework has contributed to enhancing the even distribution and concurrent execution of cancer care data analytics tasks across the software development and research team. Furthermore, the iCanViz DSRM research design has proven effective in designing research frameworks that bridge the gap between the world of cancer care and the creation of cancer care data analytics systems. With a small research team, the iCanViz project achieved this within a relatively short time frame of less than a year.